SHAQ IS TOSSED IN LOSS IN UTAH LAKERS PROTEST THEIR CENTER'S EJECTION AFTER TWO TECHNICAL FOULS LATE IN GAME.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer SALT LAKE CITY - The evening was designed for chaos, what with Karl Malone aspersions npl to cast aspersions on → dénigrer on their own personal Judas, who committed the unforgivable sin of seeking a championship in warmer climes, with better teammates. The Lakers' season doesn't follow such tidy storylines, however, and the night belonged instead to the much longer-running feud between Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). and his personal nemesis, referee Bob Delaney This article is about politician. For the basketball referee, see Bob Delaney (basketball referee). Bob Delaney is a politician in Ontario, Canada. . While Malone absorbed the taunts and the Lakers scrapped together another makeshift lineup, O'Neal and Delaney resumed their personal battle, which ended with O'Neal earning two technical fouls and an ejection late in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers losing a winnable game to the Utah Jazz, 88-83, at the Delta Center. Afterward, Malone and Jazz owner Larry Miller Larry Miller is the name of several notable people:
n. A brief high-pitched sound, as from an electronic device. v. bleeped, bleep·ing, bleeps v.intr. To emit a bleep or bleeps. v.tr. ) face,'' a seething seethe intr.v. seethed, seeth·ing, seethes 1. To churn and foam as if boiling. 2. a. To be in a state of turmoil or ferment: O'Neal said as he walked past reporters. ``Don't ask me nothing.'' Coach Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. , in a biting critique that is certain to draw a heavy fine, or worse, called Delaney ``prejudiced'' against O'Neal. A team official called to lodge a protest within minutes of the final buzzer. O'Neal had been in foul trouble all night and was already frustrated over a series of offensive-foul calls and 3-second violations. And he has long maintained that Delaney holds a ``grudge'' against him, for reasons that aren't clear. With that as the backdrop, the final minutes played out almost predictably. With Greg Ostertag Gregory Donovan Ostertag (born March 6 1973, in Dallas, Texas) is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, who spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz. He measures 7'2" (2.18 m) and played center. on his back, O'Neal drove for the layup and plowed over Andre Kirlilenko under the hoop. Delaney called a technical, accusing O'Neal of intentionally shoving Kirilenko as he rose to the basket. O'Neal exploded in anger, screaming at Delaney and shoving away Gary Payton
As he spun his body back toward the court, O'Neal's right hand smacked Kirilenko squarely on the head. Delaney called it intentional, whistled the second tecnhical and O'Neal was gone. ``Second one wasn't so hard,'' Kirilenko said. ``But the first one, he put his elbow in my throat.'' Incredulous, O'Neal trudged off the court, consoled briefly by Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. , while Jackson stood, hands in pockets, with a bemused half-smile on his face, staring at Delaney. Jackson said he hadn't seen a replay, ``so I would have to hold my tongue to not say that that was a prejudiced call.'' Nevertheless, Jackson didn't see anything that merited the ejection. ``Bob Delaney's known to be very prejudiced against Shaquille, we know that,'' Jackson said. ``So we wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't a good call. ``When Shaq spins 360 degrees and dunks a ball through the basket, his momentum is probably going to carry him another percentage of distance,'' Jackson said. ``And I didn't see anything deliberate about that. There was contact, but it wasn't deliberate. It was a follow-through after he dunked the ball. And it just takes a prejudiced person to see it. And Delaney's prejudiced against Shaq. It's as simple as that.'' Delaney and O'Neal have a history that dates back to O'Neal's years in Orlando. Among their recent run-ins: Delaney ejected O'Neal from a game in Seattle in November 2001 and dealt him a technical foul in Game 2 of the conference finals at San Antonio earlier that year. Delaney ejected Jackson in that same game. The Lakers were leading by four points when O'Neal was tossed Monday. The Jazz answered with an 11-0 run that effectively put the game away, forcing the Lakers to foul for the final minute. Howard Beck, (818) 713-3607 howard.beck(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) Luke Walton drives past Utah's Andrei Kirilenko during the Lakers' 88-83 loss. (2) Kobe Bryant, left, and Karl Malone were out of action again for Monday's 88-83 Lakers loss to the Utah Jazz. Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press Box: GAME RECAP |
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